Wash. cops win grant to save 15 police positions

The News Tribune

TACOMA, Wash. — This time, it was the cops’ turn. Five days after Tacoma’s fire department won a big federal grant to save firefighter jobs, city officials learned Monday that the police department had won a job-saving grant of its own: The U.S. Justice Department announced that Tacoma will receive nearly $5 million to fund 15 community police officer jobs over the next three years.

“This is great news for Tacoma,” Mayor Marilyn Strickland said Monday.

The $4.97 million Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant – combined with a two-year, $7.7 million Federal Emergency Management Agency grant award to the Tacoma Fire Department – also will help fill at least part of Tacoma’s lingering $11.8 million general fund shortfall in 2012.